MFA: Draft act on digital seal for visas sent out for comments

According to the proposal, a new section would be added to the Aliens Act, laying down provisions on the security features of visas and that the Digital and Population Data Services Agency would create a certificate for digital seals in visas.

The certificate for digital seals in visas will protect visas against alterations, thus ensuring their authenticity and integrity. The Data Matrix barcode symbology, i.e. 2D barcode, must be used in the digital seal.

The amendment would implement the Commission Implementing Decision issued under Council Regulation laying down a uniform format for visas, according to which digital seals must be added to visas.

This would make it possible to compare the recorded data in the visa of the visa holder with data in the digital seal in border controls, thus ensuring the authenticity of the visa and integrity of the data. This would be effective especially when the visa is inspected in patrol duties outside the actual border control points.

The request for comments has been targeted at certain recipients, but opinions of other parties on the proposed amendments are also welcome. Read the proposal for amendments at www.lausuntopalvelu.fi (in Finnish).

Inquiries: Minna-Kaisa Liukko, Senior Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 351 053. The email addresses of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs are in the format firstname.lastname@formin.fi.